This invention relates to compounds structurally related to the tubulysins, conjugates thereof with a ligand, methods for making and using such compounds and conjugates, and compositions comprising such compounds and conjugates.
The tubulysins are cytotoxins originally isolated from cultures of the myxobacteria Archangium gephyra or Angiococcus disciformis, with each organism producing a different mixture of tubulysins (Sasse et al. 2000; Reichenbach et al. 1998). Their crystal structure and biosynthetic pathway have been elucidated (Steinmetz et al. 2004) and their biosynthesis genes have been sequenced (Hoefle et al. 2006b). Pretubulysin, a biosynthetic precursor of the tubulysins, also has been shown to possess significant activity in its own right (Ullrich et al. 2009). (Full citations for the documents cited herein by first author or inventor and year are listed at the end of this specification.)
The tubulysins belong to a group of naturally occurring antimitotic polypeptides and depsipeptides that includes the phomopsins, the dolastatins, and the cryptophycins (Hamel 2002). Antimitotic agents other than polypeptides or depsipeptides also exist, for example paclitaxel, the maytansines, and the epothilones. During mitosis, a cell's microtubules reorganize to form the mitotic spindle, a process requiring the rapid assembly and disassembly of the microtubule constituent proteins α- and β-tubulin. Antimitotic agents block this process and prevent a cell from undergoing mitosis, although at the molecular level the exact blockage mechanism may differ from one agent to another. The tubulysins prevent the assembly of the tubulins into microtubules, causing the affected cells to accumulate in the G2/M phase and undergo apoptosis (Khalil et al. 2006). Conversely, paclitaxel effects the same end result by binding to microtubules and preventing their disassembly.
The tubulysins have a tetrapeptidyl scaffold constructed from one proteinogenic and three non-proteinogenic amino acid subunits: N-methylpipecolinic acid (Mep), isoleucine (Ile), tubuvaline (Tuv), and either tubuphenylalanine (Tup, RA equals H in formula (I) below) or tubutyrosine (Tut, RA equals OH). About a dozen naturally occurring tubulysins (named A, B, etc.) are known, the sites of structural variation among them being at residues RA, RB and RC as shown in Formula (I) and Table 1:

TABLE 1Naturally Occurring TubulysinsTubulysinRARBRCAOHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)i-BuBOHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)n-PrCOHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)EtDHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)i-BuEHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)n-PrFHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)EtGOHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)CH=CH2HHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)MeIOHOC(═O)MeCH2OC(═O)MeUHOC(═O)MeHVHOHHZOHOHHPretubulysinHHMe
Kaur et al. 2006 studied the antiproliferative properties of tubulysin A and found that it was more potent than other antimitotic agents such as paclitaxel and vinblastine and was active in xenograft assays against a variety of cancer cell lines. Further, tubulysin A induced apoptosis in cancer cells but not normal cells and showed significant potential antiangiogenic properties in in vitro assays. The antimitotic properties of other tubulysins have also been evaluated and generally have been found to compare favorably against those of non-tubulysin antimitotic agents (see, e.g., Balasubramanian et al. 2009; Steinmetz et al. 2004; Wipf et al. 2004). For these reasons, there is considerable interest in the tubulysins as anti-cancer agents (see, e.g., Domling et al. 2005c; Hamel 2002).
Numerous publications describe efforts directed at the synthesis of tubulysins, including: Balasubramanian et al. 2009; Domling et al. 2006; Hoefle et al. 2003; Neri et al. 2006; Peltier et al. 2006; Sani et al. 2007; Sasse et al. 2007; Shankar et al. 2009; Shibue et al. 2009; and Wipf et al. 2004. Other publications describe structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, via the preparation and evaluation of tubulysin analogs or derivatives: Balasubramanian et al. 2008 and 2009; Domling 2006; Domling et al. 2005a; Ellman et al. 2009; Hoefle et al. 2001 & 2006a; Patterson et al. 2007 & 2008; Richter 2008; Vlahov et al. 2009; Wang et al. 2007; and Wipf et al. 2007 and 2010. The SAR studies mainly explored structural variations in the Mep ring, residues RB and RC of the Tuv subunit, and the aromatic ring or aliphatic carbon chain of the Tup/Tut subunit.
Domling et al. 2005 disclose conjugates of tubulysins with a partner molecule generically described as a polymer or a biomolecule, but with actual examples limited to polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the partner molecule. Other documents disclosing conjugates of tubulysins are Boyd et al. 2008 and 2010; Vlahov et al. 2008a, 2008b and 2010; Leamon et al. 2008 and 2009; Reddy et al. 2009; and Low et al. 2009. Leung et al. 2002 disclose polyanionic polypeptides that can be conjugated to drugs (including tubulysins) to improve their bioactivity and water solubility.
Davis et al. 2008 and Schluep et al. 2009 disclose cyclodextrin based formulations in which tubulysins are covalently attached to a cyclodextrin via a hydrazide-disulfide linker moiety bonded to the Tup/Tut carboxyl group.